Mortal
by krystal lazuli
Summary: Set after the Dark World, this one-shot is also part of my Infinity series (Alliance is the first story). This one fits with the events of the story Mayhem. Thor has been given one year to decide between living on Earth or Asgard by Loki. Thor feels responsible for Jane so he chooses to spend the year on Earth with no powers. This is a short story of one day of his stay on Earth.


_**Mortal **_

_**~∫ Thor ∫~**_

"_That was Lorelei's hand in this mess. She has always tried to wreak havoc with us, ever since I spurned her and you realized what a shallow person she truly is," _Loki had said.

Thor's mind traveled back to that incident, when Loki's son Kai had been kidnapped along with Jane. The additional reminder about his previous experience with Lorelei wasn't much better. He was still embarrassed to think about that. How could he have been so stupid?

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memories. He forced his mind to the present. He was weary, bone-tired. He had just finished his shift at the lab. Fury had pulled some strings to get him hired on at the same lab Jane Foster worked at.

"_What do you mean, you do not have powers anymore?" _Fury had clearly been disappointed. When Fury had first discovered Thor had returned to Earth, he'd been ecstatic, until he'd found this little tidbit out.

Thor had explained that Loki had given him an ultimatum. He had one year to decide where he wished to live. He replayed the discussion they had, when Katirya had managed to wipe the memories of Thanos from Jane's mind.

_"I shall remain on Earth for the year," Thor said._

"_You can visit," Loki offered. "You are not exiled here."_

"Yet," Thor replied cryptically.

"_True. IF you choose Earth…" Loki said. _

"_You are making this difficult. You don't have to. I can serve both. You simply do not like Jane, do you?" Thor asked._

"_This has nothing to do with Jane Foster…"_

"It has EVERYTHING to do with Jane Foster," Thor interrupted. "You do not want me to have her, ever."

"I do not think that is up to me, is it brother?" Loki asked.

_Thor glanced over at the frozen figures, standing there as if awaiting a decision. Katirya had somehow managed to freeze time and Darcy, Ian, Erik and Jane were unmoving while he and his brother talked. _

"_I suppose you are right. She does not remember me, does she?" Thor asked. _

"_No, I am sorry, but it was the best I could do. You saw how she reacted on Asgard, when Althanas restored her memory. It was driving her insane," Katirya said. _

"_I will remain here. I will know at the end of the year if Jane Foster loves me or not. Then I shall decide," Thor said. _

"_As you wish, brother."_

Katirya had lifted the magic, unfreezing the humans.

"_HEIMDALL!" Loki shouted. In a flash of the rainbow effect of the Bifrost, Loki and Katirya were gone. _

So here he was. It had been a year now and it was almost time to decide. He knew the twins had been born. Loki had visited him periodically, along with Katirya at first. But then, as her pregnancy continued, it was difficult for her to come visit, so then it had just been his brother.

He had spent the year trying to get Jane to even acknowledge him. She had been leery of him from the first. He had wondered if it was a residual effect from Thanos' mind control of her. Lately, she had come to accept his presence, but ignored any of his attempts to get closer.

Going up darkened stairwell, he remembered that he needed to change the light bulb. No one else in the apartment building seemed to care. He'd noticed that about humans; they seemed to focus inwards, on themselves, ignoring the rest of the world. He missed that part of Asgard. In fact, he admitted to himself that he missed ALL of Asgard.

"But, it's worth it, if I can just get Jane to love me again," he whispered to himself as he trudged up the steps.

He slipped his key into the lock, then opened the door to his apartment. It was a tiny one bedroom, but all he could afford on his small salary. Erik had helped him find it.

He flipped on the lights, and was shocked to see several people sitting around his small living room. They all jumped up and shouted. "SURPRISE!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Thor asked, happy to see so many faces he recognized.

Erik was seated on a small stool, while Darcy and Ian were cuddled up together on the love seat. His mother had the recliner, and Loki and Katirya were seated on the couch. Standing by the small door to his tiny balcony were Sif and the Warriors Three!

"How? Why?" he asked, amazed to see them all.

Loki grinned. "It is your birthday, and we learned there is a tradition on Earth to celebrate birthdays.

"Besides, I wanted a night out with my husband _away_ from the children," Katirya snuggled against Loki.

"Well, it is wonderful to see you all. I guess I did not realize birthdays were so important," Thor replied.

"Look, we've got lots of food, plus we ordered Chinese takeout." Darcy jumped up from the love seat, moving into the kitchen. Sandwiches were piled high upon one plate, while bags of chips and other assorted food were set out on the counters. "Wanna beer?" she asked as she opened the fridge, pulling one out for herself.

"I want one!" Ian shouted, getting up. Darcy tossed one towards him. He grabbed it, popped the top and took a drink. "I'll go pick up the Chinese," he said as he left the apartment.

Darcy grabbed a beer for herself, then looked at the others.

"I shall pass," Katirya replied. "I do not believe it would agree with the babies."

"I will have one," Thor said. "The babies, what did you name the twins?"

Loki laughed. "Sverre and Aud. Kiri wanted to keep them simple."

"And Sverre is already living up to his name, he is a terror. He has rarely permitted me one full night's sleep since he was born. And Aud is not much better," Katirya added.

Thor laughed. "Did you not bring them with you?"

"I needed a break," Katirya said, rolling her eyes.

"Jane is on her way!" Ian burst into the room carrying the food from the takeout place. "I just saw her walking down the street."

"Oh, then we must leave," Katirya rose, placing her hand on Loki's arm.

"No, stay!" Thor insisted. It was good to see them both.

"You know how Jane despises me. I would not wish to ruin your evening," Katirya replied.

Thor briefly recalled the two times Katirya had visited Earth. Jane had been extremely rude to Katirya. He had wondered if that had been the real reason Katirya had stayed away. That reminded him that Jane only knew him now as Donald Blake. The name Thor had never been given to her. He had wanted to woo her on his own. If he were to remain here on Earth, he would have to be like a human. To be honest, he told himself that he would BE a human.

"Then create an illusion. You can both do that," Thor looked at the couple.

Katirya looked up at Loki, a pleading look in her eyes. "It is pleasant enjoying adult company for a change."

Loki grinned down at her, clearly knowing she was enjoying her brief respite from the babies. "Well, who shall we be?"

"You'd better decide quickly. I heard the door open downstairs," Darcy warned them.

In the blink of an eye, Loki and Katirya changed into a couple, clearly from Earth. They were not a moment too soon as seconds later there was a knock on the door.

"Come on in! Do not stand upon ceremony," Thor shouted in greeting.

Jane slowly opened the door and looked in. "Sorry, I forgot the party was tonight. I got busy at the lab and…" Her voice petered off as she stood awkwardly in the door, noticing the five Asgardians and a couple she did not recognize.

Erik grabbed Jane's elbow, pulling her into the room. "You are just in time. Ian just got back with the food. Take your jacket off and grab something to drink. And we're still waiting on a few to arrive so you are not late."

Thor watched as Jane slowly surveyed the room, looking at each of the occupants carefully. When she laid eyes on the group from Asgard, she paused, staring intently at each one. She had always exhibited nervousness around Sif and the Warriors Three, but Frigga did not ever seem to bother her. Satisfied that neither Loki nor Katirya were there, she looked at the final couple in the room.

"I don't believe we've met before, have we?" Jane addressed Loki and Katirya.

"No, you haven't," Erik jumped in. "Friends of mine, in from England for the week, so I invited them to join us."

"Yes, we are sorry to have crashed the party, but Erik insisted," Loki held out his hand towards Jane. "I am David and this is my wife Guinevere."

"Gwen, just call me Gwen," _Gwen_ said with a laugh. "My parents were romantics, naming me after Arthur's queen."

"Hi, um, are you both scientists too?" Jane asked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other nervously.

"Yes," "No," the couple replied simultaneously, then looked at each other and laughed.

"Actually, neither of us are true scientists anymore," _Gwen_ started.

"Excuse me, maybe you have given up your scientific pursuits, but I still profess to enjoy them," _David_ interrupted.

"True; you see, we are both professors at the university. I teach Norse mythology, and when Erik told me the Avengers might be here, well, the chance to meet Thor was, well, very tempting. " _Gwen_ grinned. "I could not resist the opportunity to meet the God of Thunder. Do you think they still might make it?" She addressed her question to Erik.

Erik shook his head. "I do not know. I heard at the lab there was something going on down in Peru, but that was this morning. They might still make it. But I did warn you, Thor hasn't been seen with them in over a year."

_Gwen _frowned slightly. "That is a shame, for I would love to meet him. Maybe we shall be lucky. And, if I could just meet Loki, my life would be complete. His exploits have always fascinated me. I studied his activities with the Chitauri back in New York." She raised her eyes up towards _David; _a wicked look sparkled in her eyes_. _

"Um, right. Thor is friends with those five over there," Jane pointed to the group from Asgard. "They can tell you quite a bit about him I am sure. Loki isn't coming, is he?"

"I doubt it. Him and Kiri are busy with the babies," Frigga answered.

"Babies?" Jane looked confused.

"Yes, Kiri had twins two months ago," Frigga beamed. "I now have three grandchildren. Now if only Thor…"

The mention of the birth of the twins abruptly reminded Thor of his coming deadline. Loki had given him one year to decide. That year was almost up. He had less than thirty days to decide. His mind wandered back to that day on Earth. Katirya had restored Jane's mind, then Loki had made his ultimatum.

"_Brother, you must decide." Loki's voice was calm, his face impassive as he spoke. "Thor, son of Odin, Wielder of Mjölnir, God of Thunder, Protector of the Nine Realms, and my brother." The titles rolled off Loki's lips. "Like I, you are split between two worlds. You love one of Earth, just as you are a Son of Earth. But now you must make a choice. Asgard cannot have her warrior split between two worlds. You must decide which world you shall live."_

"What do you mean?" Thor stared at his brother incredulously, clearly not believing what he was hearing.

"_You must choose to remain here on Earth or return to Asgard. Your life cannot be split between the two. Asgard cannot have her best warrior unfocused. It would be unwise. You must decide, for clearly Jane cannot return to Asgard," Loki replied. _

"_Have I not worked hard for you this past year?" Thor asked. _

"_Indeed, you have. But you have chosen not to seek out Mjölnir, nor to restore your powers," Loki said. "You must choose one world. I feel it is in the best interest of everyone. I will; however, not ask you to make your decision today." He glanced over at Katirya. "You may have until two months after the twins are born to decide. You may travel between both worlds at will until then, but once you decide, should you choose Earth, you may never return to Asgard."_

"_And if I choose Asgard? May I return to Earth?" Thor asked, looking over towards Jane. _

_Loki shook his head. "I think that would be unwise."_

"_So I have one year?" Thor asked. "This is not fair. You know that Loki."_

"No, it is fair."

Thor lowered his head, nodded, recognizing the wisdom behind his brother's ultimatum. "I suppose it is."

"Let's eat!" Darcy interrupted his reverie. "Before the food gets cold."

The door burst open, admitting the Avengers with Tony Stark still in his Iron Man suit in the lead. "We're here!" his voice rang out.

"You made it!" Thor grinned, glad to have more in the room. Perhaps these human faces would make Jane more at ease. He watched as Hawkeye, the Black Widow, and Captain America arrived.

"Banner will be along shortly, he had to change," Natasha explained when they all finally trooped into the room. "Sorry we didn't have time to change, but Fury sent us off on a wild goose chase in Peru."

"Oh, please. I am just delighted to even meet you," _Gwen _said.

Tony looked at the couple. "Who are they?"

"Some friends of mine from England. Gwen and David, professors at the university," Erik quickly made the introductions. As he finished, Bruce Banner entered. "And this is Dr. Banner."

"Pleased to meet all of you," _David _said.

"Indeed, I hope I can speak to each of you," _Gwen _added.

Hour later, everyone had left. The apartment still smelled of Chinese takeout food, and spilled beer. Volstagg had managed to mangle several cans before he learned the trick of popping the tab on the top. Thor chuckled as he recalled that.

It had been wonderful to see his brother. He suddenly longed to return to Asgard, meet his new niece and nephew. He wished Loki and Katirya had brought the children along. He started cleaning up when he heard a sound behind him. Loki was standing on the balcony, his arms crossed in front of him.

"Welcome back, brother," Thor greeted him.

"I have missed you. Asgard misses you. Have you considered your options?" Loki asked.

"No, I do not know what I want to do yet. I have one more month, do I not?" Thor's mind was torn. He still loved Jane Foster, but she showed no interest in him at all. He reflected on the birthday party. She had departed as soon as she possibly could, giving the excuse that she had to go to work early the next day.

"What of Jane Foster? I know she is the reason you came here," Loki asked.

"I feel like I am responsible for her condition. She remembers nothing, but she seems not to trust me."

"Responsible for her condition?" Loki's eyes flashed with anger as he slammed his fist into the wall. "You are NOT responsible, when are you going to understand that?"

"If I had not tried that stunt on Jotunheim, Father never would have sent me to Earth to learn humility…"

"I had something to do with that too, remember," Loki reminded him. "I am not proud of what I did, but I have learned much since then. You, on the other hand, seem to remain stuck here. Do you love it here so much? This… this pitiful existence?" Loki walked over to the table, sweeping a pile of empty beer cans to the floor. They clattered nosily.

"Pitiful?" Thor glanced around his apartment, suddenly seeing it through his brother's eyes. It was a small, dingy place; but it was all he could afford on his salary. He thought of his chambers on Asgard, and the beauty of Asgard itself.

"Yes, pitiful. It pains me to see the mighty Thor brought so low. You could have it all back. Kiri is fairly sure she knows where Mjölnir is."

Loki was tempting him. To have his powers back, maybe then Jane would consider him…

"No, returning to Earth would not be an option," Loki reminded him brutally of that part of the ultimatum.

"But what of the Avengers? What if they need me?" Thor asked.

"They have done fine without you, have they not?" Loki replied.

"I have one month yet, I will use it," Thor reminded him.

"You can always visit Asgard, yet you have chosen not to. Why?" Loki asked him.

"I feel I need to fully understand what it will mean to stay here."

"Do you love your life here? Is it as wonderful as you imagined it? Does Jane love you?" Loki taunted him.

"NO! And cease this!" Thor roared only to discover he had been talking to air. Loki was not in the room. Had he imagined him? Then he saw the note on the table where the beer cans had rested. He picked it up and read it. It was from his mother. His real mother.

_Beloved Son, _

_Know that while I love you dearly, you must consider what is best for you. Should you choose to remain on Earth, you will lose all powers you once had and might have had. I know you love this mortal, Jane Foster, and perhaps she will learn to love you again in time. I know you will make the right choice, but do not believe that what has happened to her has been your fault alone. Many have contributed. Know that whatever you choose, I shall always love you unconditionally. _

_Gaea_


End file.
